Customer Reviews

Last Promise, The AMS

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This was my first book by Richard Paul Evans. I have always loved Nicholas Sparks and was recommended this because the writing is supposed to be similar. If you like Mr. Sparks, you will love Mr. Evans as well!

It is a story of a young American woman who marries an Italian man, moves to Italy, has his child and lives a very lonely life in a loveless marriage. She meets an American man and they become fast friends and soon fall in love.

The story is wonderful and you will find when you finish the book you wish it was not over. I fell in love with the characters. Well at least the main characters, Eliana and Ross. Eliana's husband left a little to be desired.

Mr. Evans is a superb story teller and I will definetly read more of his books. Marvelous!!!!!

If you want to visit Italy and can't afford the time or the cost just buy Richard Paul Evans book. Not only will you feel like you are in Italy, but be so wrapped around the characters, the beauty of the countryside and wonderful use of the Italian dialogue (which is translated in English) that you will have to stop working just to get back to reading this great book. I read it in a few days and finally finished it late one night. I haven't read such a great book in years. I miss the characters already and wish I was back in the pages of The Last Promise, because it warmed my heart with love, suspense and Italy.

I would have given it a five ~~ but towards the end, the story seems to have been rushed ~~ and it wasn't satisfying as I had hoped!

However, this is an incredibly romantic story of a married woman who falls in love with an American who has a dark secret. Eliana is married to the owner of a vineyard in Florence, Italy, and is the mother of an ashmatic son. Left behind at the vineyard while her husband Maurizo travels 350 days out of the year ~~ Eliana never realizes that she is lonely till Ross Story, a mysterious American, rents one of the apartments in the villa. Drawn to one another through a love of art ~~ they quickly realizes that they are soulmates. And this is their story.

It is a quick read ~~ one to inspire sighs over the Tuscany landscape and art museum and the descriptions of food makes your mouth water. And the writing is artful ~~ leading you to the conclusion. If you're looking for a wonderful book to take to the beach this summer, this book is it. You can escape into the landscape and the romance ~~ and finish it in an afternoon.

3-16-03

Though not as good as some of Evan's books, this is lighter, but nonetheless thought provoking. Yes, his Italian is not quite accurate, but for an American hero, it is better than some might expect. Yes marriage is forever;however, even God acknowledges adultery as grounds for moving on with your life and Eliana's husband frequently changed lovers.

Her husband's only redemption.....his love for his son finally made him realize his own shortcomings and allowed both his son and Eliana to "move on to happiness".

Some reviewers have called it a "quick read" lacking in the emotional pull of some Evans' novel.......however, I read this book twice and find that if you read it fully....not quickly you will be surprised at the "meat" and emotional pull of this work. The beauty of Florence is touted thoroughly, but I would have liked to have had more incite of the harvest time and the people therewith.

In short and in retrospect...I would choose this book again for a romantic and heartwrenching story of a young, lovely, lonely woman whose husband's straying has left her with a life centered only on her son and her religion....everyone needs validation that they are not only needed but loved for themselves.

I recommend this book to anyone with tender heart....

THE LAST PROMISE by Richard Paul Evans
Rating: 4/5 stars

March 26, 2008

THE LAST PROMISE is the story of two people that meet and fall in love in the Italian countryside. Eliana is an American woman who marries an Italian man and moves with him back to his native Italy to help manage the family vineyard. While their courtship was wonderful, now that they are married he is rarely home, as he says he's traveling for business. Their son, a highly asthmatic child, Alessio, stays with Eliana while her husband is away. It is fate that brings her together with another American, Ross Story, who is now living in Italy for reasons not immediately made known to the reader. All we know is that he's decided to get away from America to start a new life in Italy. The place he chooses to stay is a room on the vineyard where Eliana lives.

The two are attracted to each other right away, and then Eliana tells Ross she is married. They strike up a friendship and the attraction is apparent to them as well as to others who watch them together. But they keep the friendship platonic, because she has made it clear that she is married and has no intentions of leaving her husband, despite how unhappy she is. But, despite what she says, it is inevitable that one day they may cross that fine line. Would she risk losing her son for the love of another man and her happiness?

I've read a number of books by Richard Paul Evans and I think this was my favorite so far. I loved the Italian backdrop, and I also think Evans did a good job with the characters. They felt like real characters to me, and not just fictional flat characters placed in a story. I'm definitely recommending this book to those who enjoy reading love stories.

I really loved this book!! Never been to Italy Richard's Paul Evans words make you feel that you are right there. I love Eliana and Ross, I thought her son Alessio was so adorable and very sweet. I felt for bad for him wanting to have his father's approval, all he wanted was his dad to be there for him, Mauirzio was such of a jerk of a husband and a father!! As I kept reading I wanted to jump in the book and strangle Mauizio!! My heart went out to Ross when he was telling Eliana how much he loves her and you can tell she loves him as well, but when she got married she promised to love honor and cherish, for better for worse in sickness and in health. But what Eliana doesn't understand is that the promise has already been broken by Mauirzio. Now she had to find it in her heart to see deep within her if she can keep that promise she has made. If I could I would give this book more than five stars.
Happy Reading Lisa

I rarely have the chance to read (have two boys and third on the way) and I just happened upon this book at the bookstore and the cover caught my eye. I read the jacket and decided to give it a try. It sat for months on my dresser before I finally got to pick it up. I read half of the book in just a few hours...it is a wonderfully written novel and I am definitely going to be reading the rest of his books. The characters come to life and it's extremely difficult to put down! Definitely the best book I've read in YEARS!

I have really enjoyed other Richard Paul Evans books--such as the Carousel, the Looking Glass, and, of course, The Christmas Box. But, after reading this book, I wondered if Mr. Evans has been attending mindless romance novel workshops.

From beginning to end the author keeps you interested and longing for more. I was caught up in the lives of Eliana and Ross and was disappointed that the story had to end. Evans has a way of making the entire book come alive; the setting, the characters, the emotions. I highly recommend this book and look forward to a sequel!

Perhaps it isn't fair when an author writes several books that you loved in past that you keep comparing their latest book to the one they've just written. But that is the reality of life. Actor's performances are compared from one movie or show to another, artists' works are often compared and singer's latest recordings are compared to what they did in the past. Therefore based on past books I read by Richard Paul Evans the mere mention of a new book by him fills me with great anticipation. Sometimes I can hardly wait when I've finished his last book for his next title to be published. And so I picked up The Last Promise filled with the promise of a really good read and finished thinking this book was simply an OK read. And while an OK read isn't bad from some authors, I'm accustomed to a book by Richard Paul Evans which really packs and emotional punch and even offers some spiritual guidance. Even criticism of Evans being sappy and preachy never deterred me from enjoying his books. Perhaps if I expected a romance novel I might have given this book 5 stars, but unfortunately even for a romance book this title had a rushed and rather unexplained ending and left me yearning for a better read.

Eliana Ferrini left America several years before when she married an Italian man that runs his family's business. Meeting this man while she attended college, today she lives in Tuscany with her husband and young son Alessi. By all appearances thy have a comfortable life and a wonderful future. But appearances are deceiving and Eliana is miserable with her unfulfilled life and a future that stretches out with only boredom ahead. Her husband travels constantly, has many lovers and if Eliana could have her way she would return to the United States and make her home there. The only pleasure Eliana has other than her son is her love of painting but fears that her loneliness will someday break her spirit. All attempts on her part to reason with her husband fall on deaf ears. And when she finally finds to courage to suggest a divorce, Mauritzio says he will give her one but their son will have to remain in Italy with him. This is out of the question for Eliana. Then a mysterious stranger, Ross, rents the vacant apartment in their building and helps Eliana during an emergency. This gentleman has come to Tuscany to wrestling with his own demons, but as the days and weeks go by, it become obvious that the these two lonely people are more than interested in each other. Perhaps they have finally found a soul mate and a way out of their existing lives. In the end, though, Eliana will be faced with a difficult choice, which may change her life forever.

Evans does a fine job of describing the Tuscany region, the city of Florence and harvest time at the Ferrini vineyards. But as desperate as Eliana's situation was coupled with a sad event in Ross' past, they were rather superficial characters to me. And for some reason I kept looking at the book cover to see if I had made a mistake, and this was written by Nicholas Sparks instead. I guess we don't always love every book we read by an author and I certainly will read this author again. I only hope his next book will promise to be better than this one.